Aim: Based on literature data and their own experience, the authors present a view that, in a selected group of patients, ambulatory laparoscopic cholecystectomy may be performed with no increased risks and with good outcomes. Material and Methods: The retrospective study presents a group of 93 patients, 72 females and 21 males, who underwent ambulatory laparoscopic procedures for symptomatic cholecystolithiasis in the Podlesí Hospital Centre of Miniinvasive Surgery, from January 2003 to the end of June 2006. 61.3% of the patients were in their forties and fifties, 69.9 % of the patients were classified as ASA II, according to the surgical risk. Half of the patients had an ideal body weight, according to their body mass index (BMI) assessment. Results: No peroperative or postoperative complications were recorded in the above, closely selected group of patients. 84 patients (90.3%) were discharged to homecare on the day of the procedure. Nine patients (9.7%) required hospitalization for the first postoperative night and they were discharged the following morning., i.e. within 24 hours after the procedure. None of the subjects, discharged after the ambulatory procedure, required rehospitalization. Conclusion: Similarly to studies presented in the literature worldwide, the authors concluded that laparoscopic cholecystectomy perforemed in the outpatient regime appears an appropriate surgical method in closely selected patient groups. In our setting, out of the total of 618 operated patients, who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy during the studied period, 15.4% could be managed using the above method.

        Key words: cholecystectomy – laparoscopy – outpatient surgery